Buckle for shoes and the like

ABSTRACT

A shoe buckle comprising a quandrangular frame having two parallel side bars and two end bars connecting the ends of the side bars and extending transverse thereto and a cross-bar intermediate the end bars and fixed on the side bar, a tongue hingedly supported on the cross-bar and cooperating with one of the end bars and extending parallel to the side bars. The side-, end- and cross-bars are made of strip-like sheet metal material and the side bars have a cross section having an outer margin lying all along its extension at a level higher than that defined by the bottom of the frame of the buckle.

O i United States Patent 1 1 1 1 3,777,337 Steinberg Dec. 11, 1973 [5 BUCKLE FOR SHOES AND THE LIKE 1.494,606 5/1924 Lake 24/188 2,169,402 8/1939 White 24/200 [76] Inventor: F'F" Stemberg, 2,418,096 3 1947 Robinson 24/178 Mancm1 5, M1lan, Italy [22] Filed: Feb. 14, 1972 Primary ExaminerPaul R. Gilliam 1 pp No 226 085 AttorneyGuido Modiano et al.

Related US. Application Data 5 ABSTRACT [63] fg' xgg ga'g of June A shoe buckle comprising a quandrangular frame having two parallel side bars and two end bars connecting [30] Foreign Application Priority Data the ends of the side bars and extending transverse l 2, 1969 It I 19089A thereto and a cross-bar intermediate the end bars and Ju y a y fixed on the side bar, a tongue hingedly supported on [52] {1.8. Ci. 24/191 the cross-bar and cooperating with one of the end bars [51] Int. Cl .4 A441) 11/12 and extending parallel to the side bars, The side-, endl l Field of Search 76173, 186-4 1 and cross-bars are made of strip-like sheet metal material and the side bars have a cross section having an [56] References Cited outer margin lying all along its extension at a level UNITED STATES PATENTS higher than that defined by the bottom of the frame of 676,644 6 1901 Yost 24/188 the buckle' 1,316,801 9/1919 Pfeifer 24/178 R 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures 1,333,260 3/1920 Kerngo0d.... 24/178 R 1,389,948 9/1921 Kerngood 24/188 BUCKLE FOR SHOES AND THE LIKE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 50,663, filed June 29, 1970, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a buckle, particularly to a buckle for shoes and the like.

Shoe buckles are known which comprise a substantially quadrangular frame having two parallel side bars and two end bars transversely connecting these side bars at the ends thereof, and an intermediate cross bar parallel to these end bars and rigidly connected to the side bars, the cross bar hingedly supporting a tongue extending parallel to the side bars.

Buckles are further known in which the side bars have a slightly arcuated shape in the longitudinal extension, so that the ends of these side bars lie higher than the middle portion of the side bars to which the cross bar is secured.

These known bars are made of sheet-like metal material.

In making these buckles of sheet-like metal material, however, problems arise in giving the necessary rigidity to the bars, particularly to the side bars. For such a purpose the sheet-like material of the bars is bent to form substantially cylindrical or hemicylindrical elongated members, so considerably increasing the strength of the whole buckle.

It has been found, however, that these bents are not entirely satisfactory.

In particular, a hemicylindrical bent of the side bars is the most common one. The lateral margins of the hemicylindrical bent extend downwardly, that is to the surface of the shoe or the like, thereby pressing against said surface during the movement of the shoe or the like.

This pressure may be transmitted to the foot of the user, causing pain or even damage of the foot.

On the other hand,it is not possible to avoid this bent of the side walls since they would not have the required resistance to flexion and the frame made of sheet-like metal material would be unapt to tits purpose.

It is further necessary to provide the bents in a mechanical operation cycle so that these bents have to be carried out once the sheet-like material has been cut out to define the quadrangular frame. The stage of bending has therefore to be substantially simple to perform.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION .It is an object of this invention to provide a shoe 'buckle the structure of which does not present the above mentioned shortcomings, i.e. to provide a shoe buckle the structure of which avoids any painful contact of the buckle with the users foot, providing, at the same time, a good mechanical resistance.

Another object is to provide a shoe buckle structure of the described type which may be manufactured starting from a relatively thin sheet metal material.

Another object is to provide a'buckle structure, which is easily adaptable to different types of leather articles, such as a footwear or similar.

These and other objects are achieved by a buckle for shoes and the like, comprising a quadrangular frame with two parallel side bars having a slightly arcuated longitudinal extension and two ends thereof and a lowered intermediate zone therebetween, two end bars transversely connecting said ends, an intermediate cross bar parallel to said end bars and rigidly connected to said side bars at said lowered intermediate zone thereof, and a tongue hingedly supported on said cross bar and cooperating with one of said end bars and extending parallel to said side bars, said bars being all made of strip-like sheet metal material and said end bars and said cross bar each having a bottom portions adapted to engage the surface of said shoe, wherein, said side bars each have a cross section with a first flat portion upwardly bent from said bottom portion thereof substantially orthogonal thereto and a second flat portion extending from said first flat portion outwardly of saidframe substantially orthogonally to said first portion and having an outer edge lying all along its extension at a level higher than that defined by said bottom portions of said end bars and said cross bar.

'BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a buckle structure according to the invention, illustrated by way of a non-limiting example, in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows, in a perspective view from above, an embodiment of the buckle structure, in which the side bars are shown before the upward bending of their width-wise extension;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective sectional view of the buckle structure of FIG. 1, taken along line II-II, the side bars being still shown before the said upward bend- FIG. 3 shows a perspective cross-sectional view like the one of FIG. 2, in which the side-bars are shown in their final position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the drawing, the buckle, structure comprises a quadrangular frame 1, made starting from a particularly thin sheet metal material. The quadrangular frame has in a central position thereof an intermediate cross bar 2, on which a buckle tongue 3 is hingedly supported. The free end 4 of the tongue 3 is received, when the buckle is in its operative position, in a recess or seat 5, provided in a central position of the end bar 6 of the frame. Opposite to the end bar 6 there is another end bar 7, both the end bars 6 and 7 being connected to the ends 8a and 9a of two side bars 8 and 9, which have a slightly arcuated shape in their longitudinal extension. As shown particularlyin FIG. 1 the side bars 8 and 9 define a lowered intermediate zone 12 between their respective ends 8a and 9a, in which the intermediate cross bar 2 is rigidly connected to the side bars 8 and 9.

The end bars 6 and 7 and the cross bar 2 each have 'a bottom portion adapted to engage the surface of the shoe on which the buckle is arranged.

The end bars 6 and 7 of the frame have a substantially tubular shape and are obtained by bending around the thin metal strip material of which these bars are made.

According to the invention the side bars 8 and 9 have a cross section with a first flat portion 13 upwardly bent from the said bottom portion substantially orthogonal thereto, and a second flat portion 10 and 11, respectively, extending from the first flat portion 13 outwardly of the frame 1 substantially orthogonally to the first portion 13. The second flat portion 10, 11 thus has an outer edge or margin 14 lying all along its extension at a level higher than that defined by the bottom portion of the end bars 6, 7 and cross bar 2.

The bent of the side bars 8, 9 is equivalent to a reinforcing rib. This bent is obtained in a simple manner by subjecting the sheet-like metal material of which the bars are made firstly to a downward bending operation in which the second flat portion 10, 11 is effected (FIG. 2) and then to a further bending operation in which the first flat portion 13 is made (FIG. 3). This further operation is an upward bending of the side bar, in which the first flat portion has already been bent downwardly. It is clear that these steps of bending may be easily performed during an automatic production of the buckle without requiring complicated tools or machinery. A series production of the buckle is therefore particularly advantageous. At the same time the mechanical resistance of the whole buckle is considerably increased and the shortcomings stated above of pressure against the foot of the user are completely eliminated. As will be seen from FIG. 2, which shows a cross section of the buckle already finished, the substantially tubular shaped end bars 6, 7 reach a maximum height above the bottom portion which substantially correspond to that of the second flat portion 14 at the ends 8a and 9a of the side bars 8 and 9. In this manner the first flat portions 13 substantially close the open ends of the tubular bars 6, 7.

It will be appreciated that the cross sectional bent of the side bars is more easy to form than a cylindrical or hemicylindrical bent, as is the case of the known buckles. This is due principally to the fact that the first and second portion of the bent are substantially flat, since they derive directly from the sheet-like material of which the buckle is made, and are arranged at about with respect to each other.

The outer edge or margin 14 of the side bars 8,9 cannot touch the foot of the user since it is arranged above the shoe even during the movement thereof, while the buckle lies on the shoe on its bottom portion which is however substantially flat both at the end bars and the cross bar 2 and so does not disturb the foot.

I claim:

1. A buckle for shoes and the like, comprising a quadrangular frame with two parallel side bars having a slightly arcuated longitudinal extension and two ends thereof and a lowered intermediate zone therebetween, two end bars having substantially bottoms and transversely connecting said ends, an intermediate cross bar parallel to said ends bars and rigidly connected to said side bars at said lowered intermediate zone thereof, and a tongue hingedly supported on said cross bar and cooperating with one of said end bars and extending parallel to said side bars, said end bars and said cross bar each having a bottom portion adapted to engage the surface of said shoe, wherein said side bars each have a cross section with a first flat portion upwardly bent from said bottom portion thereof substantially orthogonal thereto and a second flat portion extending from said first flat portion outwardly of said frame substantially orthogonally to said first flat portion, said second flat portion having an outer edge lying all along its extension at a level higher than that defined by said bottom portions of said end bars and said cross bar, and said end bars being each formed by a substantially tubular shaped portion bent outwardly from the inner edge of said bottom portion up to a substantially closed position, and integral therewith, said substantially tubular shaped portions being substantially closed at said ends thereof by said first fiat portions and having a maximum height above said bottom portion substantially corresponding to said level of said outer edge of said second flat portion at the ends of said side bars. 

1. A buckle for shoes and the like, comprising a quadrangular frame with two parallel side bars having a slightly arcuated longitudinal extension and two ends thereof and a lowered intermediate zone therebetween, two end bars having substantially bottoms and transversely connecting said ends, an intermediate cross bar parallel to said ends bars and rigidly connected to said side bars at said lowered intermediate zone thereof, and a tongue hingedly supported on said cross bar and cooperating with one of said end bars and extending parallel to said side bars, said end bars and said cross bar each having a bottom portion adapted to engage the surface of said shoe, wherein said side bars each have a cross section with a first flat portion upwardly bent from said bottom portion thereof substantially orthogonal thereto and a second flat portion extending from said first flat portion outwardly of said frame substantially orthogonally to said first flat portion, said second flat portion having an outer edge lying all along its extension at a level higher than that defined by said bottom portions of said end bars and said cross bar, and said end bars being each formed by a substantially tubular shaped portion bent outwardly from the inner edge of said bottom portion up to a substantially closed position, and integral therewith, said substantially tubular shaped portions being substantially closed at said ends thereof by said first flat portions and having a maximum height above said bottom portion substantially corresponding to said level of said outer edge of said second flat portion at the ends of said side bars. 